Review: iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro

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iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro

Apple

When Apple unveiled photos of the new iPhone 11 series, my wife excitedly decided that she wanted the lavender iPhone 11—but with the upgraded triple lens of the iPhone 11 Pro (using the iPhone Upgrade Program).

Needless to say, once we sussed out which camera belonged to which iPhone, she wasn't pleased at all.

And thus begins the annual give and take of the iPhone product line. If you want stylish colors and a "reasonable" price, you have to settle for the base model iPhone 11. If you want more features and a bigger screen, you've got to go with the more more expensive iPhone 11 Pro.

The iPhone 11 has the same 6.1" display as the XR it replaces. It also has the same body and similar color options as the XR (thought I much prefer this year’s lavender to last year’s XR-exclusive blue). But once you start talking about specs, things get much more interesting.

The iPhone 11 has two individual 12mp lenses for wide and ultra-wide shots. Those two cameras and its next-gen A13 Bionic Chip also allow it to shoot in Night Mode— something that Apple fans have been envious of ever since Google's Pixel showed off the same party trick last year with its Pixel 3. The upgraded camera also allows you to shoot video at 4K resolution at multiple focal levels simultaneously. It's more durable than the XR as well—certified water resistant up to 2 meters. The battery life is improved, too. Apple claims it will get one hour more of battery life than the XR. You can even get more storage space with the iPhone 11 than the iPhone XR. It's the only "low end" model at the Apple Store that lets you upgrade to 256GB, though that will cost much more than the base price of $699.

So far, the iPhone 11 sounds impressive. And when you put the two iPhones side-by-side, the 11 looks even better. The first thing you'll notice about the iPhone 11 Pro is that, while it might have a crisper "Super Retina" screen (okay, a lot crisper), it's display is 5.8"— that's a full .3" shorter than the iPhone XR. (If you want a bigger screen, you'll have to upgrade to the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 6.5".) But as you dig into the specs, things take a turn. The iPhone 11 Pro is manufactured with a stainless steel frame (which should help it survive falls, something I've struggled with when it comes to my iPhone XS Max) and textured glass. That textured glass is fascinating as a material choice—one of the things I often hear as justification for buying a case is how the iPhone is too slippery. Speaking of durability, the iPhone 11 Pro rated to be water resistant up to double the depth of the iPhone 11—4 meters.

The extra telephoto lens of the iPhone 11 Pro is the next obvious upgrade over the iPhone 11. It will let you get even closer to the action than ever before. The battery life is also improved over the iPhone 11—but how much is hard to say since Apple doesn't compare the iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone 11, instead comparing it to the XS. But I don't think anyone doubted that the iPhone 11 Pro could beat the iPhone XS in a battery test. The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999.

The Verdict

The iPhone 11 lineup.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

I'm not going to beat around the bush: I don't think the iPhone 11 Pro is worth a $300 premium over the iPhone 11. It's true that the iPhone 11 Pro's screen and camera are significantly better. And its durability upgrades might end up saving you a trip or two to the Apple Store for replacement devices. But both are working from the same chipset and offer almost exactly the same user experience. Unless you're currently using an iPhone XS Max and simply can't accept stepping down in screen size (in which case you'll need to get the even more expensive $1,099 iPhone 11 Pro Max), save your money and stick with or buy the iPhone 11.

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This story was written in collaboration with Forbes Finds. Forbes Finds covers products and experiences we think you’ll love. Featured products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Forbes may receive a small share of that sale.

iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro

Apple

When Apple unveiled photos of the new iPhone 11 series, my wife excitedly decided that she wanted the lavender iPhone 11—but with the upgraded triple lens of the iPhone 11 Pro (using the iPhone Upgrade Program).

Needless to say, once we sussed out which camera belonged to which iPhone, she wasn't pleased at all.

And thus begins the annual give and take of the iPhone product line. If you want stylish colors and a "reasonable" price, you have to settle for the base model iPhone 11. If you want more features and a bigger screen, you've got to go with the more more expensive iPhone 11 Pro.

The iPhone 11 has the same 6.1" display as the XR it replaces. It also has the same body and similar color options as the XR (thought I much prefer this year’s lavender to last year’s XR-exclusive blue). But once you start talking about specs, things get much more interesting.

The iPhone 11 has two individual 12mp lenses for wide and ultra-wide shots. Those two cameras and its next-gen A13 Bionic Chip also allow it to shoot in Night Mode— something that Apple fans have been envious of ever since Google's Pixel showed off the same party trick last year with its Pixel 3. The upgraded camera also allows you to shoot video at 4K resolution at multiple focal levels simultaneously. It's more durable than the XR as well—certified water resistant up to 2 meters. The battery life is improved, too. Apple claims it will get one hour more of battery life than the XR. You can even get more storage space with the iPhone 11 than the iPhone XR. It's the only "low end" model at the Apple Store that lets you upgrade to 256GB, though that will cost much more than the base price of $699.

So far, the iPhone 11 sounds impressive. And when you put the two iPhones side-by-side, the 11 looks even better. The first thing you'll notice about the iPhone 11 Pro is that, while it might have a crisper "Super Retina" screen (okay, a lot crisper), it's display is 5.8"— that's a full .3" shorter than the iPhone XR. (If you want a bigger screen, you'll have to upgrade to the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 6.5".) But as you dig into the specs, things take a turn. The iPhone 11 Pro is manufactured with a stainless steel frame (which should help it survive falls, something I've struggled with when it comes to my iPhone XS Max) and textured glass. That textured glass is fascinating as a material choice—one of the things I often hear as justification for buying a case is how the iPhone is too slippery. Speaking of durability, the iPhone 11 Pro rated to be water resistant up to double the depth of the iPhone 11—4 meters.

The extra telephoto lens of the iPhone 11 Pro is the next obvious upgrade over the iPhone 11. It will let you get even closer to the action than ever before. The battery life is also improved over the iPhone 11—but how much is hard to say since Apple doesn't compare the iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone 11, instead comparing it to the XS. But I don't think anyone doubted that the iPhone 11 Pro could beat the iPhone XS in a battery test. The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999.

The Verdict

The iPhone 11 lineup.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

I'm not going to beat around the bush: I don't think the iPhone 11 Pro is worth a $300 premium over the iPhone 11. It's true that the iPhone 11 Pro's screen and camera are significantly better. And its durability upgrades might end up saving you a trip or two to the Apple Store for replacement devices. But both are working from the same chipset and offer almost exactly the same user experience. Unless you're currently using an iPhone XS Max and simply can't accept stepping down in screen size (in which case you'll need to get the even more expensive $1,099 iPhone 11 Pro Max), save your money and stick with or buy the iPhone 11.